Third Woman Poised to Join California High Court

California Gov. Pete Wilson nominated Sacramento state appeals court judge Janice Rogers Brown last week to the California Supreme Court. If confirmed, Brown would join two other women on the bench and make California the fifth state with three women on its high court. Brown would also be the first black woman on the court. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, legal scholars say the stronger female presence could bring "subtle but far-reaching changes" to a traditionally male-dominated court. The Chronicle article quoted several women lawyers and judges commenting that women's presence in the judicial system leads to greater sensitivity in cases involving rape, domestic violence, and abortion.